Sabarimala case: ED begins questioning as SIT gears up to file charge sheet
Development comes at a critical stage, with the high court-appointed SIT preparing to file its charge sheet in the case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday began its first round of questioning in the Sabarimala gold robbery case, with former Travancore Devaswom Board administrative officer Murari Babu appearing before the agency’s Kochi office.
The development comes at a critical stage, with the high court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) preparing to file its charge sheet in the case. Murari Babu was summoned in connection with the Dwarapalaka and Kattilappally cases linked to the alleged gold robbery at the Sabarimala temple.
He is the first person to be questioned by the ED since the agency formally entered the probe, even as the SIT continues its investigation into the predicate offences. Babu had earlier secured statutory bail after the SIT failed to file charge sheets within the prescribed period, becoming the first accused in the case to be released on default bail.
Arrested on 23 October last year, Babu is the second accused in the Dwarapalaka case and the sixth accused in the Kattilappally case.
Sources said the ED stepped in as the SIT probe nears completion. Officials indicated that a list of persons has been drawn up for questioning, including individuals who are not named as accused by the SIT, a move that could potentially widen the scope of the investigation.
The ED registered its case on 9 January under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to examine whether the alleged robbery involved laundering of proceeds of crime. The probe gathered pace on 20 January, when coordinated searches were conducted at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, targeting premises linked to suspects, intermediaries and related business interests.
With parallel investigations now underway, the ED’s entry has added a new dimension to a case that has already triggered political and administrative ripples in Kerala, particularly due to the involvement of senior temple administration officials.
The matter is also under judicial scrutiny, with the high court expected to rule on a petition seeking a CBI probe into the alleged heist, filed by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
With PTI inputs